


I’m an Ally and Shit (Asexual Awareness Week)

by totallyrandom



Series: LGBTQ Days [13]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Adult Stiles Stilinski, Asexual Awareness Week, Asexual Character, Asexual Lydia Martin, Asexuality, Bisexual Character, Bisexual Derek Hale, Bisexual Male Character, Bisexual Stiles Stilinski, Getting Together, High School, M/M, Stiles is 18, Stiles-centric, biromantic character?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-07
Updated: 2015-10-07
Packaged: 2018-04-25 05:45:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4948909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/totallyrandom/pseuds/totallyrandom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Stiles-centric sequel to <a>Friends Only (Asexual Awareness Week)</a>, but this stands alone fine as well.</p><p>Stiles has never been good at boundaries. His brain-to-mouth filter is nonexistent. He just mostly bulldozes ahead and then has to apologize afterward. But even Stiles knows this is something delicate. Lydia may rule the school with an iron stiletto, but all that armor is protecting a tender heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I’m an Ally and Shit (Asexual Awareness Week)

**Author's Note:**

> Asexuality Awareness Week (Ace Week) is in October. The next one is October 19-25, 2015. See: <http://asexualawarenessweek.com>.

Stiles isn’t sure how to bring it up. Or whether to bring it up at all. It’s none of his business, of course. But also, he wants to be a supportive friend. But maybe she doesn’t want a supportive friend? Maybe she just wants him to ignore it. Maybe she’s ignoring it herself. Or maybe it’s not an issue and making it seem like an issue would be awkward or painful, and that wouldn't be cool. 

Or maybe she’d be happy to know that someone's noticed and it’s fine. Not that it’s his place to approve or disapprove, of course. But sometimes it just helps to know that someone _sees you_ and it’s all cool, right? And she had definitely been that way about Stiles being bi. But, oh, they hadn’t actually _talked_ about that. Lydia just didn’t seem surprised when he mentioned a cute guy, and that was it. So … he _shouldn’t_ bring it up, then. Probably. Or at least not _directly_. Hmmmm … 

Although he often claims to prefer ignoring a problem for as long as possible, Stiles has to admit he’s actually much more likely to pick at something until it _becomes_ a problem. Hangnails, for sure. Loose strings. His father’s tolerance for lying. Stiles has never been good at boundaries. His brain-to-mouth filter is nonexistent. He just mostly bulldozes ahead and then has to apologize afterward. 

But even Stiles knows this is something delicate. Lydia may rule the school with an iron stiletto, but all that armor is protecting a tender heart. A lack of loving attention at home--followed up by, well, _Jackson_ \--has turned Lydia into an ice queen to all but a select few. Stiles makes the cut, somehow, on a good day. It definitely helps that he’s not mooning over her anymore. He cherishes her friendship and he’s not going to betray that trust. 

So the shirt is a compromise. It’s innocuous enough. Almost no one at  school will know what it means, but it’s also generic enough that people won’t wonder what it means. And the black/gray/white/purple color scheme is muted, so it won’t draw general attention. But he hopes that the people who need to know will get it.

[ ](http://www.cafepress.com/mf/70504881/asexuality-ally-tex_tshirt?productId=686631509)

It’s a plan. He always feels better when he has a plan. Ok, sure, he's still a _little_ nervous. But he likes that this is a way to literally _show_ Lydia that he’s an ally to the ace community without demanding anything of her. She’s free to ignore the shirt, pretend she doesn’t know what it means. Or maybe she actually doesn’t know what it means. Maybe she’s asexual but never looked into the ace community. The odds of Lydia not knowing something are small, though. Of course, maybe he’s just wrong entirely and she’s not ace at all.  

But Stiles is rarely wrong about Lydia. He’d spent too much of his life pining, watching her from afar. Hours spent awed by her brilliance and her beauty, intimidated by her indifference, hyperaware of every change in her behavior. It’s really kind of creepy, now that he thinks about it. 

… Wow, yeah, he was creeeeeeeeepy. For a looooong time. He wonders what she really thought about all that attention before they became friends. Maybe he’d ask someday. On a day when his ego is really strong, if such a day ever arrived. He’d consider _apologizing_ if he didn’t think it would make it even more uncomfortable for her. Asking for it would be a burden on her that she doesn’t need. It would be selfish of him to mention it just in pursuit of absolution for himself, to ease his own guilty conscience. He doesn’t need her to say she forgives him, but maybe she does need him to apologize. Maybe he’ll talk about something related to it sometime and leave her the opening to start a conversation about it. Maybe.

He doesn't need to talk about that, but he _does_ want to talk to someone to get another perspective on the shirt. He can’t out her, of course. Whether he’s right or not, he can’t just talk about this to other people without Lydia’s permission. And especially before he’s even talked _with her_ about it. Obviously. That would be super shitty. And he’s gonna try really hard not to be shitty to Lydia anymore. 

He does end up talking to Derek about it later, though. Sort of. Derek stops by the Stilinski house one morning to warn them about the newest potential threat, but the Sheriff isn’t home yet and Derek gets distracted by Stiles’s shirt. 

“That’s … What?” Derek asks him, pointing at Stiles’s chest. 

Stiles laughs at him. “Oh my god, Derek. It’s like the phrase ‘Use your words’ was created _specifically for you_.” Derek turns pink and, shit, now Stiles feels bad. He takes a deep breath and tries to restart the conversation. “Right. So. Ok. It’s Asexuality Awareness Week? This is my shirt to show aces and aros that I get it and I’m an ally and shit.” 

“Arrows?” Derek mimes shooting a bow. 

“Dude. No. Are you being serious right now? I honestly can’t tell if you’re shitting me about aro/arrow,” he says, mimicking Derek's pantomime. “Whatever. I’m going to tell you anyway, and if you were just joking, _the joke’s on you_ because it just means you have to hear me talking even more. And I know that’s your _favorite thing_.” 

“I could leave.” 

Stiles steps between Derek and the door. Derek looks to the window.

“Nuh uh,” Stiles says, throwing his arms around Derek.

“What.” 

“Dude, _you asked_ and now _I’m gonna tell_.” 

“Stiles. I know what aromantic is,” he says, shrugging out of the hold and putting some space between them. “I used to think … after Kate. After, there was just … sex. Sometimes. And I thought I’d never find someone … but I’m not. So that's … ” he waves at Stiles’s shirt, “for me … ” 

“Oh. Uh. No, dude. It’s … No. Not for … you. I didn't know. But, um, thanks? For telling me? We can talk about that. More. If you want. Sometime. _Anytime_. But, uh, the shirt’s for a friend at school who I’m like 95% sure is biromantic ace.* But obviously I’m not going to _ask_. So, I’m sort of hoping the shirt works … well, kind of the way it did with you, actually. If this person _wants_ to talk about it, anyway. I mean, it’s none of my business, of course, but everyone should know they have people on their side, right? Because this shit can be _scary_ , right? Like when I came out to Dad as bi? That was _scary as fuck_.” 

Derek swallows hard. “Bi,” he says quietly, as if to himself. 

“ _Totally_ bi. And sexual. And romantic.  _Enthusiastically bisexual_. Very looking forward to trying out in practice with actual other humans what my porn folder _definitely_ shows to be true.” 

“Oh. Ok.” 

“Ok. ... Ok?! Nah, man, it’s _awesome_.” He punches Derek lightly on the shoulder. 

“Yeah, Stiles,” Derek whispers, staring at his feet. 

“Y’ok, dude?” 

Derek growls, “Yeah, _dude_.” 

“Oh my god. _This_ again? What is wrong with ‘dude,’ dude?” 

“ ... What does ‘dude’ mean, Stiles?” 

“Are you serious?” Stiles looks around. “Are there hidden cameras in here? Or did I wake up in a world where I’m like your personal Wikipedia or Wiktionary or something?”

“No. ... You call me ‘dude,’ but what does it mean?” 

“What does ‘dude’ mean ... _to me?_  Like, my personal definition? Is that what you're asking?” 

“ _Yes_.” 

“God, I hope talking to … ” Stiles clears his throat, cutting himself off just in time. “Fuuuuuuuck. That was close. Anyway, I hope talking to _the person_ today goes easier than talking to _you_.”

Derek blushes again. “Sorry, Stiles. I’ll go.” 

“No! No." He grabs Derek's arm for a second. "Just, um, I don’t know how to explain it? Like, ok. Um, it’s a generally positive term. Well, unless you’re saying ‘What the fuck, dude?’ because that’s obviously not positive. But it’s a term used for your best bro … or sometimes just some random person. Ok, or like anyone generally your own age you’re talking to in a casual setting. It depends on how you say it, right? It’s like … Ok, _yeah_. It’s like … you know how you’ve said my name like 15 billion times already today?” 

“Stiles,” Derek growls. 

“Exactly! So a _normal_ person … well, _a normal person wouldn’t growl_. Duh. But also a normal person would just say ‘dude’ instead of saying my name all the time. Because that’s kinda weird, dude. I mean, where did you learn to talk?” 

“From werewolves who could overhear things I whispered from three rooms away.” 

“Right. Oops. Wow I bet that made it awkward when you ... Nevermind. Nooooot the point … _So_?” 

“What?”

“So why does that mean you say my name every 5 seconds?” 

“When everyone hears everything it’s confusing. To know who. So we'd say the name.” 

“Whoa. Duuuuuude.” 

“ _That_. Right there. What does that _mean_?” 

“Uh, it’s like saying ‘whoa’?” 

“You said ‘whoa’ too.” 

“Yeah, dude, but it’s like for _emphasis_.” 

“I do not understand anything in this conversation.” 

Stiles pats him on the chest. “Look, I gotta get to school. I’ll come by the loft after and we can figure out the etymology of the word ‘dude’ or whatever.”** 

“Good luck talking with your friend … dude.”

“Oh my _god_. No. No, no no. I take it back! _Seriously_. Never say ‘dude’ again. _Never_.” 

“Shut up, Stiles.” 

“Sure, dude. I gotta run or I’ll be late for class. Have I told you lately how _glad_ I am that this is my last year? I can vote but I can't make the adult decision to opt out and go straight to college? Shit. Gotta go. Gotta goooooo. Dad'll be home soon if you want to wait!” he yells over his shoulder as he rushes out, holding his backpack in his teeth as he throws on a flannel shirt and a hoodie over that. 

*** 

Stiles speeds kind of a lot and manages to pull into the parking lot just after Lydia. They walk in together, chatting about Derek’s surprise visit this morning and how Stiles made him promise to never say “dude” ever again. Lydia’s half paying attention as Stiles rants, as usual. He’s so distracted talking about Derek that he doesn’t notice the queen of cool stumble and almost doesn’t catch her in time. He steadies her and gives her a questioning look, which she pointedly ignores, splitting off from him toward her own locker. It isn’t until after first period that Stiles notices the Ace Week posters all around school. Then he remembers his shirt and realizes that no one can actually see it under all his layers. 

At the end of the day, Lydia tells him, “I see you’re getting into the spirit of the week or whatever.” She waves halfheartedly at the Asexuality Awareness Week posters papering the school. “That shirt is _hideous_. Who came up with that color scheme? It is _vile_. I’d certainly never be caught dead wearing something like that.” 

Stiles gets the message, so he offers her the out. “Considering the body count in Beacon Hills, that must be a fairly practical concern for you every time you get dressed in the morning.” She rolls her eyes but offers him a small smile, and Stiles lets out a quiet breath of relief. Mission accomplished. 

*** 

Stiles is in a good mood when he gets to the loft that evening, and even more so when Derek crowds him against a door and says, “I’m bisexual too.” Stiles gasps and yanks him in for a hard kiss.

“Duuuuuuuude,” Stiles breathes out happily.

**Author's Note:**

> * Stiles guesses wrong. Lydia is ace & aro in this story, but he was assuming she’s ace & biro.
> 
> ** You can read an actual academic paper on “dude”: [http://www.pitt.edu/~kiesling/dude/dude.pdf](http://www.pitt.edu/~kiesling/dude/dude.pdf%20).
> 
> T-shirt image credit: <http://www.cafepress.com/mf/70504881/asexuality-ally-tex_tshirt?productId=686631509>
> 
> For more information on asexuality, see: <http://www.asexuality.org/home>.


End file.
